Dynamics of a three terminal mechanically flexible tunneling contact

The dynamics of a nanoelectromechanical system in the form of a three-terminal tunneling device is studied by analytical and numerical methods. The main results are the existence of bistable stationary states resulting in directly detectable chaotic behavior.Comment: 6 pages, 9 figures, RevTe

Frequency tuning, nonlinearities and mode coupling in circular graphene resonators

We study circular nanomechanical graphene resonators by means of continuum elasticity theory, treating them as membranes. We derive dynamic equations for the flexural mode amplitudes. Due to geometrical nonlinearity these can be modeled by coupled Duffing equations. By solving the Airy stress problem we obtain analytic expressions for eigenfrequencies and nonlinear coefficients as functions of radius, suspension height, initial tension, back-gate voltage and elastic constants, which we compare with finite element simulations. Using perturbation theory, we show that it is necessary to include the effects of the non-uniform stress distribution for finite deflections. This correctly reproduces the spectrum and frequency tuning of the resonator, including frequency crossings.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, 3 table

Mechanical Cooper pair transportation as a source of long distance superconducting phase coherence

Transportation of Cooper-pairs by a movable single Cooper-pair-box placed between two remote superconductors is shown to establish coherent coupling between them. This coupling is due to entanglement of the movable box with the leads and is manifested in the supression of quantum fluctuations of the relative phase of the order parameters of the leads. It can be probed by attaching a high resistance Josephson junction between the leads and measuring the current through this junction. The current is suppressed with increasing temperature.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, RevTeX; Updated version, typos correcte

Impact of van der Waals forces on the classical shuttle instability

The effects of including the van der Waals interaction in the modelling of the single electron shuttle have been investigated numerically. It is demonstrated that the relative strength of the vdW-forces and the elastic restoring forces determine the characteristics of the shuttle instability. In the case of weak elastic forces and low voltages the grain is trapped close to one lead, and this trapping can be overcome by Coulomb forces by applying a bias voltage $V$ larger than a threshold voltage $V_{\rm u}$. This allows for grain motion leading to an increase in current by several orders of magnitude above the transition voltage $V_{\rm u}$. Associated with the process is also hysteresis in the I-V characteristics.Comment: minor revisions, updated references, Article published in Phys. Rev. B 69, 035309 (2004

Multi-flavor bosonic Hubbard models in the first excited Bloch band of an optical lattice

We propose that by exciting ultra cold atoms from the zeroth to the first Bloch band in an optical lattice, novel multi-flavor bosonic Hubbard Hamiltonians can be realized in a new way. In these systems, each flavor hops in a separate direction and on-site exchange terms allow pairwise conversion between different flavors. Using band structure calculations, we determine the parameters entering these Hamiltonians and derive the mean field ground state phase diagram for two effective Hamiltonians (2D, two-flavors and 3D, three flavors). Further, we estimate the stability of atoms in the first band using second order perturbation theory and find lifetimes that can be considerable (10-100 times) longer than the relevant time scale associated with inter-site hopping dynamics, suggesting that quasi-equilibrium can be achieved in these meta-stable states.Comment: 26 pages, 18 figure

Diffusion-induced bistability of driven nanomechanical resonators

We study nanomechanical resonators with frequency fluctuations due to diffusion of absorbed particles. The diffusion depends on the vibration amplitude through inertial effect. We find that, if the diffusion coefficient is sufficiently large, the resonator response to periodic driving displays bistability. The lifetime of the coexisting vibrational states scales exponentially with the diffusion coefficient. It also displays a characteristic scaling dependence on the distance to bifurcation points.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Coherent transfer of Cooper pairs by a movable grain

A coherent hybrid of states with different number of Cooper pairs can be built in a superconductor grain as a result of periodically repeated discrete encounters with bulk superconductor leads. As a direct manifestation of such states a non-dissipative current depending on the phase difference between the leads can be measured.Comment: 4 Pages Revtex, 3 figures. Updated references. Typos correcte

Nanomechanical displacement detection using coherent transport in ordered and disordered graphene nanoribbon resonators

Graphene nanoribbons provide an opportunity to integrate phase-coherent transport phenomena with nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). Due to the strain induced by a deflection in a graphene nanoribbon resonator, coherent electron transport and mechanical deformations couple. As the electrons in graphene have a Fermi wavelength \lambda ~ a_0 = 1.4 {\AA}, this coupling can be used for sensitive displacement detection in both armchair and zigzag graphene nanoribbon NEMS. Here it is shown that for ordered as well as disordered ribbon systems of length L, a strain \epsilon ~ (w/L)^2 due to a deflection w leads to a relative change in conductance \delta G/G ~ (w^2/a_0L).Comment: 4 Pages, 4 figure

Diffusion-induced dephasing in nanomechanical resonators

We study resonant response of an underdamped nanomechanical resonator with fluctuating frequency. The fluctuations are due to diffusion of molecules or microparticles along the resonator. They lead to broadening and change of shape of the oscillator spectrum. The spectrum is found for the diffusion confined to a small part of the resonator and where it occurs along the whole nanobeam. The analysis is based on extending to the continuous limit, and appropriately modifying, the method of interfering partial spectra. We establish the conditions of applicability of the fluctuation-dissipation relations between the susceptibility and the power spectrum. We also find where the effect of frequency fluctuations can be described by a convolution of the spectra without these fluctuations and with them as the only source of the spectral broadening.Comment: 10 page